Methodology
Last updated: November 2026Published by Tim Kilroy
Beyond Referrals forms its recommendations from Tim Kilroy's published frameworks and from linked, published industry research, and it says which is which.
Tim Kilroy publishes this site and wrote its recommendations. That is a point of view, not an independent review, and the site is written to make that clear wherever it compares options.
Each recommendation starts from a specific agency problem, such as referral dependence, weak positioning or stalled discovery calls, and answers it with frameworks Tim Kilroy has published from coaching more than 300 agencies. Supporting numbers come from named surveys and reports, quoted as published and linked.
| Source type | Examples | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Kilroy's frameworks | Owner-operator trap, Return on Understanding, five-stage funnel | Basis for advice and steps |
| Published industry research | Promethean Research, RSW/US, SparkToro, Rivo, Extole, HubSpot | Quoted exactly with source links, never as Tim’s own numbers |
| Tim Kilroy's published prices | Agency Studio and Agency Studio+ | Stated with an as-of date |
| Client testimonials | Named testimonials on timkilroy.com | Labeled as client statements, not a study |
Definition
On Beyond Referrals, a fair comparison means every option is described with the same kinds of facts, such as the bottleneck it fits, its format and its publicly listed cost. Order reflects bottleneck or stage, not a hidden score, and Tim Kilroy's services are not claimed to be better on any point the facts do not show.
Numbers
Numbers are quoted exactly as published, with their full range and source. Prices carry an as-of date, currently November 2026. The pipeline calculator labels its assumptions and shows no result until every input is valid.
No ratings are shown on this site because no public rating clearly tied to Tim Kilroy's agency coaching business was available. Competitors are described only with neutral facts. See how this applies in the agency coaching comparison, or return to the guide to how to grow a marketing agency.
Short answers below. Every question links to the full agency growth FAQ.
The best coach depends on your bottleneck. Tim Kilroy's own answer points to Blair Enns for positioning and value-based pricing, David C. Baker for agency structure and M&A positioning, Jhana Li at Spyglass Ops for operations and delivery efficiency, and his own DemandOS for whole-team demand generation.
Read agency coach reviews for specifics: the reviewer's agency type and size, the problem they started with, the timeline and the measured change. Vague praise tells you little. Tim Kilroy publishes named client testimonials on timkilroy.com, including a founder who reported going from 7 clients to 17 in 10 weeks.
Prices vary by coach and format. As listed on timkilroy.com as of November 2026, Tim Kilroy's Agency Studio group coaching is $399 a month, Agency Studio+ with a custom plan and a monthly one-on-one is $999 a month, and SalesOS and DemandOS custom work is scoped after a free 30-minute call. Check each coach's own site for current pricing.
Start with a diagnosis, not a tactic. Agency problems are connected: a sales fix can break delivery, and a price increase can stall a pipeline built on weak positioning. Tim Kilroy's WTF assessment on timkilroy.com is a two-minute diagnostic that shows where an agency is stuck and what to look at first.
Both are used. The original marketing mix has 4 P's: product, price, place and promotion. Many teachers add people as a fifth P, because service businesses depend on the people who deliver the work. For a marketing agency, the fifth P matters a lot, since your team is the product clients are buying.
Tim Kilroy offers a free 30-minute call for agency owners. You describe what is going on, he helps diagnose the real problem, and you leave knowing what to fix first, whether or not you work together.
